Subcraft Carrier
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Subcraft Carriers are vessels designed to carry subcraft, whether small ones designated smallcraft, or larger ones designated bigcraft.
- Carriers and Tenders form the mission category: Subcraft Carriers.
- The most common types are Carriers and Tenders. Escort Carriers and Fighter Carriers carry smallcraft Gunboats and Fighters and Rider Carriers and Battle Carriers carry bigcraft Battle Riders. Fleet Carriers as a class meet fleet mobility standards, and may carry either some or all of the above mentioned elements. Tenders carry other vessels and auxiliaries critical to the support of the fleet, and are termed Battle Tenders if they carry both their primary Battle Riders and their auxiliary support element vessels.
- Commercial or civilian tenders tend to be called Ship Transporters among other terms.
- Subcraft Carriers are used to describe paramilitary and military craft. Equivalent civilian or commercial craft are generally called Transports.
- The Supraclass designation is also known as Ship Mission, Ship Mission Code, Mission, or Ship Hull Designation.
- It is a starship supraclass.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
Subcraft Carriers transport a variety of smallcraft and bigcraft to the battlefield, where they perform combat support missions attacking skirmisher secondaries, disrupting missile flights, and decreasing the effectiveness of big gun battle wagons. As technology progresses, better miniaturized antishipping weaponry may lead to a rise in the significance of Subcraft Carriers and possibly disrupt the dominance of big gun battleships as they once did in the navies of maritime Terra.
- Various battle rider and jump tender strategies have already begun to innovate and experiment with a carrier strong future.
- The "V" classification code is a holdover from pre-spaceflight (and pre-Anglic) Terran naval history. When wet-navy ships were first used as floating bases for aircraft, said ships were classified as "aViation" (from English, with the same meaning as in Anglic) or "Voler" (from French for "to fly") by some of their larger navies at the time.
- Arguably it could now be used for "Vessel" (as in "carries other Vessels") or "Void" (since the system of a carrier and its smallcraft, when deployed, extends through the space between them). However, most naval officers in charge of classification who have expressed an opinion on this have preferred to cite historical precedent as justification.
Image Repository[edit]
This image repository contains a selection of carrier images:
- No image yet available.
- Type VR Rider Carrier - A World class Battle Tender laden down with Nolikian class Battle Riders.
- Type VF Fighter Carrier - A Bullfrog class Fighter Tender in deep space deploying small spheroid subcraft.
Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine)[edit]
Subcraft Carriers are not intended to enagage in direct ship-to-ship combat with the forward line of warships. rather they deploy their subcraft as combat multipliers meant to help the heavy spinal mount warships deploy in the most advantageous positions and they are meant to disrupt the maneuver of the enemy's fleet combat elements.
Supraclass Roles[edit]
Subcraft Carriers typically serve as Carriers or Tenders:
Carriers typically serve the following roles:
Largecraft & Bigcraft:
| V-class Carrier Supraclass Archetypes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Archetype | Type Code | ||
| Carrier | (V) (Namesake) | ||
| Mother Ship (Smallcraft Carrier - Generic) | (VQ) (Namesake) | ||
| Assault Carrier (Lander Carrier) | (VL/VLA) | ||
| Battle Carrier (Rider Carrier) | (VRN) | ||
| Command Carrier | (VR[C/F]) | ||
| Escort Carrier | (ECV/EVR/VFE) | ||
| Fighter Support Ship | (VLF) | ||
| Fleet Carrier (Fighter/Attack-Boat Carrier) | (VFN) | ||
| Heavy Carrier | (VRB/VFB) | ||
| Light Carrier | (VFL) | ||
| Pocket Carrier | (VFLS) | ||
| Provincial Combat Carrier | (V[B/F/L]P) | ||
| Range Carrier | (V_F) | ||
| Strike Carrier | (VFK) | ||
| System Defense Carrier | (VD[B/F/L]) | ||
Tenders typically serve the following roles:
Largecraft & Bigcraft:
| VT-class Tender Supraclass Archetypes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Archetype | Type Code | ||
| Tender | (VT) (Namesake) | ||
| Battle Tender | (VTB/VTR) | ||
| Commercial Tender | (TV) | ||
| Communication Tender | (XT) | ||
| Command Tender | (VTC) | ||
| Cruiser Tender | (VTR) | ||
| Escort Tender | (EVT) | ||
| Fighter Tender | (VTF) | ||
| Fleet Tender | (VTN) | ||
| Interdiction Tender | (VTD/VTS) | ||
| Jump Carrier | (VTJ) | ||
| Jump Shuttle | (VTM) | ||
| Repair Tender | (VTQ) | ||
| Ship Tender | (VTQ) | ||
| System Defense Boat Tender | (VTD) | ||
| Xboat Tender | (XT) | ||
Size-Class Roles for Subcraft Carrier Vessels[edit]
- Utility Craft (U) (1 to 99 tons)
- Gunboat (EB) (100 to 999 tons)
- Escort Carrier (EV/ECV/CVE) (1,000 to 9,999 tons)
- Fleet Carrier (VRN/VFN)
- Pocket Carrier (VFLS) (2,500 to 24,999 tons)
- Light Carrier (VFL) (25,000 to 99,999 tons)
- Medium Carrier (VF/VR) (100,000 to 249,999 tons)
- Heavy Carrier (VFB/VRB) (250,000 to 499,999 tons)
- Superheavy Carrier (VFS/VRS) (500,000 to 999,999 tons)
- Ultraheavy Carrier (VFU/VRU) (1,000,000 or more tons)
- Utility Craft (U) (1 to 99 tons)
- Gunboat (EB) (100 to 999 tons)
- Escort Tender (ETV/VTE) (1,000 to 9,999 tons)
- Fleet Tender (VT_N)
- Light Tender (VT_L) (10,000 to 99,999 tons)
- Medium Tender (VT_) (100,000 to 249,999 tons)
- Heavy Tender (VTB) (250,000 to 499,999 tons)
- Superheavy Tender (VTS) (500,000 to 999,999 tons)
- Ultraheavy Tender (VTU) (1,000,000 or more tons)
Military Subcraft[edit]
Military subcraft (...both smallcraft and bigcraft) are carried by nearly all of these vessels:
- Battle Rider (BR)
- Combat Barge (WBG)
- Combat Transport Smallcraft (UI)
- Fighters (F)
- Militarized Utility Craft (UQ)
Supraclass Archetypal Roles[edit]
These vessels typically serve the following archetypal roles:
| V-class Subcraft Carrier Supraclass Archetypes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Archetype | Type Code | Exemplar | Remarks |
| Subcraft Carrier | V (namesake) | Lurenti class Battle Carrier | V-class vessels represent a school of thought using larger vessels to deploy smaller ones, or subcraft. The Subcraft Carrier supraclass includes both Carriers (V) and Tenders (VT).
|
| Subcraft Tender | VT (namesake) | None. |
|
| Commercial Tender & Ship Transporter | TV | Mariner class Frame Carrier | Ship Transporters or commercial tenders are similar to carriers and tenders, but instead of military subcraft, they carry civilian subcraft. The concept is similar to the battle rider concept, except in a civilian application. The class also includes various kinds of jump ships or jump trains, specialized to carry variable cargos, or as jump shuttles.
|
Defense Carrier
|
VDB | No exemplar yet available. | Defense Carriers are a specialized form of carriers that forward deploy fighters in similar roles to SDBs. The use of defense carriers can strategically deny fleets access to gas giants or other fuel sources and thus deny enemy battle battle fleets strategic mobility and flexibility. Also called "System Control Vessel" (SCV).
|
Assault Carrier
|
VL / VLA | Wind class Strike Carrier | Assault Carriers specialize in planetary assault using their fighters to conduct round-the-clock surface bombardment missions and then shuttling down troop transports and armored fighting vehicles.
|
Strike Carrier
|
VFK | Wind class Strike Carrier | Fighter Carrier: Interstellar ship transport intended to carry fighters into combat. Generally a dispersed structure (...of up to one million tons), it transports a squadron of a number of fighters ready for immediate launch upon entry into a system. While the fighters press the attack, the battle carrier stays in reserve for protection.
|
Fleet Carrier
|
VFN | Antiama class Fleet Carrier | Fleet Carriers are built to operate as part of a fleet, not independently. Their subcraft provide tactical and strategic support to a line a battlefleet a CruRon or a BatRon. Their fighters provide sensor pickets, an expanded sensor net, either in a tactical or strategic sense, provide missile shields intercepting enemy munitions, or provide strike assets damaging enemy capital ships. They are dependent on other capital ships and auxiliary elements such as tankers or combat support ships.
|
| Fleet Rider Carrier/ Battle Tender
|
VRN/VTB (Namesake) | World class Battle Carrier/Tender | Battle Carrier/Tenders carry bigcraft, which is to say subcraft that are 100 tons or larger in displacement. These subcraft are significantly larger, more powerful, and longer-legged than the smallcraft fighters carried by traditional carriers. This gives significantly more strategic options than a fighter-equipped carrier, but not always better striking power within a fighter's range envelope. The Battle Rider is the prototypical bigcraft carried by Battle Carriers and Battle Tenders and entire schools of naval strategy have arisen concerning their usage and deployment. [1]
|
Command Carrier
|
VRC | War Child class Command Carrier | Command Carriers perform flagship roles, coordinating large numbers of fighters. courier vessels, scout vessels, and line combatants, as the center of a battle fleet. This role is ordinarily taken by a fleet's premier battleships.
|
Escort Carrier
|
EV/ECV/CVE | Hyperion class Escort Carrier | Escort Carriers or Very Light Carriers displace between 1000 to 2,499 tons in size. While not very useful for larger fleet formations, they are great in an escort role, putting out a sensor picket, protecting against other fighters, or for strikes against lightly defended targets. They can also be built relatively quickly, staffed quickly, and quickly deploy into action. Many fleets operate escort carriers because of their usefulness within their identified roles.
|
Pocket Carrier
|
VFLS | Horror class Strike Carrier | A Pocket Carrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 2,500 to 99,999 tons.
|
Light Carrier
|
VFL | Skimkish class Light Carrier | A Light Carrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 100,000 to 149,999 tons. Light vessels can be impressive craft, just under 100k in tonnage, which is more than large enough to threaten merchant vessels, smaller system defense fleets, and many lesser targets including smaller world-states.
|
| Medium Carrier | VF/VR | Antiama class Fleet Carrier | A Medium Carrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 150,000 to 249,999 tons. Medium vessels are large vessels, cruiser-sized, and are general considered capital ships, serious combatants. They require serious resources, logistical support, and large crews, but they project power across interstellar distances when used correctly in ways that no escort or destroyer can match.
|
| Heavy/ Fleet Carrier
|
VRB/VFB
|
Midway class Heavy Carrier | A Heavy Carrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 250,000 to 499,999 tons. Heavies are very large craft, as big as many cruisers and battleships and capable of carrying a large, powerful load of subcraft, enough fighters to seriously threaten most battle fleets.
|
| Superheavy/ Fleet Carrier (Supercarrier)
Supertender |
VRS/VFS
|
Mordax class Fleet Carrier | A Supercarrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 500,000 to 999,999 tons. Superheavies are incredibly large vessels, bigger than the resources of the typical pocket empire or world-state can construct. They take years to build, requiring huge costs, massive expenditures of resources, and massive crews. They are rarely available in other than very small runs, but they have massive combat power.
|
| Ultraheavy/ Fleet Carrier (Ultracarrier)
Ultratender |
VRU/VFU
|
Kliqrv class Battle Carrier | An Ultracarrier is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh 1,000,000 or more tons. Ultraheavies are not for the thrifty... Only the largest of supra-polities can afford them, and they are almost always specialized for very specific roles, typically as flag ships for the largest fleets.
|
| NOTES: There is semantic overlap between many of the classes and codes. Some codes organize by mission or capability, others by size and tonnage, and yet others by other characteristics. | |||
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Carriers: Carriers are designed to carry large numbers of small combat craft, which in turn attack the enemy’s combatants or world surfaces. [2]
- Carriers remain a strong element of fleet battle groups to this day, deploying subcraft in roles that enhance the effectiveness of the forward line of battle.
Selected Variant Types & Classes - Carriers[edit]
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Assault Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Battle/Heavy Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Command Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Defense Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Escort Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Fleet Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Strike Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Light Carrier:
- Type VL class Light Carrier
- Avenger class Escort Carrier
- Bullfrog class Fighter Tender
- Cluster class Light Fleet Carrier
- Collossal class Light Carrier
- Dauntless class Light Carrier
- De Gaulle class Light Carrier
- Fuchuan class Warship Carrier
- Garin class Light Carrier
- Heng-O class Light Carrier
- Hangar class Light Fleet Carrier
- Hybrid Zeno class Light Carrier
- Kosigar class Light Carrier
- Liaoning class Light Carrier
- Nova class Light Carrier
- Regal Ark class Light Fleet Carrier
- Skimkish class Light Carrier
- SLC8 Penetia class Light Carrier
- Vati class Support Carrier
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Medium Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Pocket Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Superheavy Carrier:
Military Ship - Warship - Subcraft Carrier - Ultraheavy Carrier:
Selected Variant Types & Classes - Tenders[edit]
Military Ship - Warship - Battle Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Command Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Defense Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Escort Tender - Very Light Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Fleet Tender:
- Type VTF class Fleet Tender
- As'ah class Fleet Tender
- Aster class Fleet Tender
- Euphrates Rio class Fleet Tender
- Jesel class Fleet Tender
- Last Armada class Fleet Tender
- League class Fleet Tender
- Norland class Fleet Tender
- Plavis class Fleet Tender
- Saeda class Fleet Tender
- Starbelt class Fleet Tender
- Stormbringer class Fleet Tender
- Uthgvoe class Fleet Tender
- Yedidah class Fleet Tender
Military Ship - Warship - Heavy Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Militarized Jump Shuttle:
Military Ship - Warship - Light Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Medium Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Superheavy Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Ultraheavy Tender:
Selected Variant Types & Classes - Civilian Subcraft Carriers[edit]
- Type TJ class Jump Ship
- Type TV class Ship Transporter
- Brown class Jump Ship
- Brutus class Ship Transporter
- Corporate class Range Carrier
- Endeavor class Ship Transporter
- High Liner class Bulk Freighter
- Mariner class Frame Carrier
- Marius class Ship Transporter
- Orowani Deep Space class Commercial Tender
- Sagacity class Bulk Freighter
- Type JS class Jump Ship
Ship Summary List[edit]
Some of the most commonly used vessels in this role or these roles include:
| 29 Representative Subcraft Carrier (V) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
| 0 Representative Assault Carrier (VA) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 1 Representative Battle Carrier (VB) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Command Carrier (VC) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 1 Representative Defense Carrier (VD) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 4 Representative Escort Carrier (VE) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Fleet Carrier (VF) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Heavy Carrier (VH) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 6 Representative Light Carrier (VL) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 1 Representative Medium Carrier (VM) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Pocket Carrier (VP) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Supraheavy Carrier (VS) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 14 Representative Tenders (VT) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
| 0 Representative Ultraheavy Carrier (VU) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
Library Data Referral Tree[edit]
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: (Click "Expand" to reveal)
- Advanced Ship Classifications
- Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
- Ship Type Code / Superclass
- Ship Class Code / Class
- Model (TL)
- Bloc (Lot)
- Basic Ship Classifications
- Adventure Class Ship (Auxiliary Class Ship)
- Battle Class Ship (Bulk / Subcapital Class Ship)
- Capital Ship (Capital Class Ship)
- Fleet Class Ship (Capital Class Ship)
- Size-Role Classification
- Subcapital Ship (Small & Large Battle Class Ships)
- QSP
- USP
- World Class Ship
- NAFAL (STL) - (Not As Fast As Light) / (Slower Than Light)
- Light Speed (c)
- FTL - (Faster Than Light) - "Superluminal"
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
|
This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
- This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science, Emeritus
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
- ↑ Marc Miller. Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium (Game Designers Workshop, 1990), 5.